Trevor Plouffe was eager to rejoin the Twins lineup after a concussion and calf injury sidelined him 21 games.

So eager, he dialed Terry Ryan during his minor league rehabilitation stint and lobbied the general manager to return in time for Minnesota's three-game series against first-place Detroit at Target Field.

Plouffe arrived a day later and celebrated his 27th birthday with a bang Saturday night, lifting the Twins out of a hitting slump and keeping them relevant early in the American League Central Division chase.

The third baseman belted a home run, collected three runs batted in, reached base safely in all four plate appearances and played flawless defense in Minnesota's 6-3 victory.

Plouffe played four games at Class AAA Rochester to tighten his swing and strengthen his troublesome left calf, which he strained running pregame sprints May 29 -- the same day he was activated following a weeklong stint on the concussion disabled list.

He managed to extend his hitting streak to nine games, retroactive to May 21, and is 12-for-32 (.375) during that span.

"It's just good to be back," he said. "I wanted to continue doing what I was before. I was able to get some at-bats down in Rochester. I want to keep it in the same routine."

That routine will not include pregame sprints without first warming up on a stationary bike.

Advertisement

Plouffe suffered a right calf strain in spring training and had been hampered by hamstring injuries before colliding with Atlanta second baseman Dan Uggla's knee while breaking up a double play almost four weeks ago.

Rain washed out batting practice for both teams Saturday but Plouffe did not miss a beat in his first home game since May 19.

After walking in his first plate appearance, Plouffe tagged ineffective Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez in the fourth for a two-run homer deep into the left-field seats. He followed that with a double in the sixth and a drive off the left-field wall in the seventh only to be thrown out by Andy Dirks trying to stretch it into another double.

"I was just trying to get to second as fast as I could. One thing I didn't come back with was more speed," he quipped.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said reports out of Rochester indicated Plouffe had returned to form at the plate and in the field.

"He was getting after it pretty good. His swing looked good, and you saw that," Gardenhire said. "He was on the ball and swinging good."

This is a pivotal season for Plouffe. The Twins essentially handed the former shortstop the third base job in spring training expecting him to build off last June's power surge during which he hit .327 with 11 home runs and 21 RBIs -- twice the production he managed in any other month.

He has the range and arm to play solidly at the corner position, and he has pop in his bat. But the team wants Plouffe to prove his worth over a full season.

"We know he can hit the ball a long way, and he did that for six weeks last year. Can he do it over the course over six months?" Ryan said before the game. "There's been a lot on inconsistencies. Now he's healthy. We need to move on. But it would sure be nice for a couple straight months so we know what we're dealing with."

Plouffe felt confident enough last week to cold-call his boss.

"I was pushing for Terry to bring me up for this series," he said. "I gave him a call and he said, 'Listen, get your bat right before you come up here. I want you to produce.' He made me do that. I felt good down in Rochester, and it carried over."

Plouffe paced a 14-hit attack after the Twins were held to two runs in their previous two games. Starter Sam Deduno's control was sharp. He avoided long innings against the hard-hitting Tigers to improve to 3-1 and set up Sunday's rubber match.

"First thing's winning, and I wanted to contribute any way I could," Plouffe said. "To be able to come up offensively was good for us. Sammy pitched his butt off again. When you mix those two things together it's a good night."